Marin grew faster in 2017 in terms of percentage than some of its North Bay neighbors in part because of wildfires that forced people to move, according to new population estimates released by the state Department of Finance.

Marin is typically the slow-growth capital of the Bay Area given its limited amount of undeveloped land zoned for housing.

The new figures show as of Jan. 1, 263,886 people now live in Marin. The increase from 2017 was minuscule, with the county showing a mere 624 net increase in residents, or 0.2 percent.

That was ahead of Napa’s and Sonoma’s populations, which both dropped by 0.3 percent.

Throughout the state, more than 13,200 housing units were lost in 2017, with wildfires heavily influencing a number of areas, according to the state.

The counties with the most housing loss due to fire were Sonoma, which lost 2.6 percent of its homes; and Napa, which lost 1.1 percent.

In Marin, Corte Madera was the growth leader, registering a population increase of 4.3 percent in 2017 as it added 414 new residents. It now has a population of 10,039, or that’s what the state says.

Corte Madera’s mayor isn’t so sure.

“We are puzzled by that number and we are looking into it,” Carla Condon said. “We are trying to get some clarity from the state.”

At first blush the Corte Madera resident rush seemed logical: the Tam Ridge Residence apartment complex at 195-205 Tamal Vista Blvd. near Highway 101 opened in 2017. The former WinCup site is comprised of six buildings, three and four stories tall, on 4.5 acres. People began moving into the buildings last summer.

“But even if you count those residents the numbers do not add up,” Condon said.

Officials with the state said the Tam Ridge Residence was factored in and it’s the reason for the increase. The site has 180 units and multiply that figure by 2.3 people and voilà, the state came up with 414 new residents. The issue is that the Tam Ridge Residence is only 70 percent full presently and does not have a full complement of residents.

“The Tam Ridge Residence is what we based it on,” said Doug Kuczynski, demographer with the finance department. “These are all estimates.”

Most other cities and towns, as well as the unincorporated areas of Marin, showed more modest growth up to 0.2 percent. Statistically, Fairfax had 0 percent growth, but it did add one resident. Mill Valley also registered 0 percent growth, but added seven residents.

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Ross and Sausalito lost 0.1 percent of their residents. San Rafael had 0 percent growth, but lost 10 residents, according to state figures. The county’s growth is limited not only by the small amount of land available for new housing, but resources as well. Its water supply is primarily from Mount Tamalpais reservoirs, which have a cap on their yield.

Between 2010 and 2018 the county has grown from 252,409 to the present 263,886, an increase of 4.5 percent, according to state figures.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the Bay Area, Alameda’s population grew by 0.8 percent, Contra Costa 0.9 percent, San Francisco by 1.1 percent, San Mateo by 0.5 percent, Santa Clara by 1 percent and Solano by 0.7 percent.

Statewide, California added 309,000 residents in 2017, bringing the state’s population as of Jan. 1 to 39,810,000, according to the department of finance. That is an 0.8 percent increase in people.

Growth was strongest in the more densely populated counties in the Bay Area, the Central Valley and Southern California, averaging 0.86 percent. Of California’s 482 cities, 421 saw gains in population, 57 saw reductions, and four experienced no change.

MARIN POPULATION

Population and percentage of growth/decline, Jan. 1, 2017 to Jan 1, 2018: